Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

Ingredients

Strawberry Filling

• 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons (11g) cornstarch
• 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons (23ml) warm water
• 2 cups (about 300g) diced strawberries
• 6 Tablespoons (75g) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Cupcakes

• 1 and 2/3 cups (209g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 2 egg whites*
• 1/4 cup (60g) sour cream or plain yogurt*
• 3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk*
   
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (or extract, see Note)*

Strawberry Whipped Cream

• 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) cold heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
• 3 Tablespoons (38g) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or extract, see Note)*
• reserved 1/2 cup of strawberry filling
• optional for garnish: strawberry slices and fresh mint

Instructions

1. Make the strawberry filling first: Using a fork, mix the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl until the cornstarch has dissolved—mixture is thick. Warm the strawberries and sugar together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir the mixture as it cooks, and break up some of the strawberries as you stir. Bring it to a simmer. Once simmering, stir in the cornstarch mixture. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. After 5 minutes, remove from heat, stir in the lemon zest, and cool completely. You will have about 1 and 1/4 cup (about 340g) of strawberry filling. The filling thickens as it cools. (It must completely cool, so transferring to a bowl out of the saucepan helps speed that up, as does refrigerating it. You can complete a few other steps in the recipe as the mixture cools.)
2. Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. This recipe yields about 15 cupcakes, so line a second muffin pan with 3 cupcake liners, or bake in batches.